South Africa celebrates Heritage Day on Sept 24

Heritage Day is a South African public holiday celebrated on 24 September. On this day, South Africans across the spectrum are encouraged to celebrate their culture and the diversity of their beliefs and traditions, this is a demonstration that the nation belongs to all its people.

South Africans celebrate Heritage Day by remembering the cultural heritage of the many cultures that make up the population of South Africa.

In the province of KwaZulu-Natal, 24 September was known as Shaka Day, this was in commemoration of the Zulu King, Shaka. Shaka was the legendary Zulu King who played an important role in uniting disparate Zulu clans into a cohesive nation.

In 2005, a media campaign sought to "re-brand" the holiday as National Braai Day in recognition of the South African culinary tradition of holding informal backyard barbecues, or braais.

National Braai day therefore is a day in which South Africans gather together around fires which is the central theme. It is a day of barbequing and socializing in fact various events are staged throughout the country to commemorate this day.

 “
...when South Africans celebrate the diverse cultural heritage that makes up a "rainbow nation". It is the day to celebrate the contribution of all South Africans to the building of South Africa(sic)

”

 
— Lowry 21:1995  
 
On 5 September 2007, Archbishop Desmond Tutu celebrated his appointment as patron of South Africa's Braai (Barbecue) Day, affirming it to be a unifying force in a divided country (by donning an apron and tucking into a boerewors sausage).

We wish all our fellow South Africans a Happy National Heritage/ Braai day.